Published May 03, 2016
1:45 p.m.
A civil rights group says it will conduct its own investigation into the death of Freddie Gray, a black man who died of a mysterious spinal injury he suffered after he was arrested by Baltimore police.
The Baltimore chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference said Thursday that a former Philadelphia police officer will conduct the investigation for the group. Baltimore police are doing an internal investigation and the Justice Department has opened a probe to see if Gray's civil rights were violated when he was arrested April 12.
The Rev. C.D. Witherspoon, the head of the civil rights' group's local chapter, said an independent investigation is needed because police brutality in Baltimore has gone unpunished.
"We have no faith in City Hall," Witherspoon said. "You can prove us wrong. We challenge City Hall to prove us wrong."
Former Philadelphia officer Terence Jones will lead the investigation by speaking with witnesses to the arrest. He says he'll try to speak with officers involved, but doubts they will talk to him.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/the-latest-on-baltimore-police-custody-death-civil-rights-group-to-do-probe-of-freddie-gray